In automotive applications, sometimes electrical terminals are soldered to a surface, for example, a windshield, by an automated soldering machine. Typically, the electrical terminals are supplied to the automated soldering machine by a vibratory feeder. The vibratory feeder has a bowl into which a large supply of the electrical terminals are dumped. The vibratory feeder then moves the electrical terminals from the bowl to the automated soldering machine by vibration.
In some applications, for example on windshields, small electrical terminals are desirable in order to provide maximum visibility as well as to provide a more pleasing appearance. However, some small electrical terminals, for example, those having a design with a base pad about 10 mm by 14 mm in size or smaller, and a blade connector extending therefrom, tend to lock together when dumped into the bowl of the vibratory feeder. Some of these electrical terminals can become so tenaciously locked together that even the vibrations from the vibratory feeder cannot separate the electrical terminals from each other. Such locking together of electrical terminals can cause jamming of the automated soldering machine when electrical terminals that are locked together are fed into the machine.
The present invention provides an electrical terminal which generally does not lock together with other electrical terminals in an inseparable manner, and therefore is suitable for feeding into an automated soldering machine by a vibratory feeder. The electrical terminal includes a generally planar base pad having two opposed legs and an intermediate portion. The base pad legs have proximal and distal ends and are joined at the proximal ends to the intermediate portion. The base pad legs are spaced apart from each other to form a gap between the legs. The base pad legs have inner edges facing each other which extend away from each other moving away from the proximal ends of the base pad legs to the distal ends. A connector arm having a neck extends upwardly from the intermediate portion of the base pad between the base pad legs and terminates in a blade connector for engaging with a mating terminal. The neck has a proximal end with a width that is less than the gap between the proximal ends of the base pad legs by about xc2xd mm to 3 mm. The neck has a narrowing section moving away from the proximal end of the neck.
In preferred embodiments, the electrical terminal is formed of sheet metal. The inner edges of the base pad legs are angled outwardly about 4xc2x0 relative to each other. The neck has side edges which are angled inwardly towards each other. Each side edge of the neck is angled about 5xc2x0 from the inner edge of an adjacent base pad leg. The side edges of the neck, after angling towards each other, extend outwardly to form a pair of protrusions between the neck and the blade connector. Preferably, the proximal end of the neck has a width that is less than the gap between the proximal ends of the base pad legs by about 1 to 1xc2xe mm. The base pad legs and the intermediate portion have outer edges which are at right angles to each other. The base pad has an outer perimeter that is no greater than about 10 mm by 14 mm and is often 10 mm by 13 mm. The connector arm is bent upwardly from the intermediate portion of the base pad and then bent laterally away from the intermediate portion. The base pad has a bottom surface with at least one standoff. A layer of solder can be applied on the bottom surface of the base pad.
The present invention provides a design that is suitable for use with small electrical terminals having a base pad 10 mm by 14 mm and smaller which does not inseparably lock together with other terminals, and at the same time, when soldered to a surface, has a solder joint with a pull strength within desirable ranges.